BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says it appears that the North American Bison Cooperative has resumed paying beef producers owed money by an associated company that is now defunct.

The Agriculture Department earlier this month said it would seek a court judgment against the bison co-op of $49,000 for allegedly failing to pay for cattle for the North Dakota Natural Beef processing plant in Fargo, which closed last fall. The co-op earlier had been fined $50,000 for not paying ranchers about $324,000, but $49,000 of the penalty had been waived under the understanding that the co-op would repay a half dozen producers.

Goehring tells Agweek (http://bit.ly/UDkZnh ) that he will hold off on the court judgment effort, but his department will continue to monitor whether the ranchers are paid.